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Hayato Kobayashi@2014/10/09
"The Future of the Public Assistance Reform in Japan: Workfare vs. Basic Income?,"
Yannick Vanderborght and Toru Yamamori eds., Basic Income in Japan: Prospects for A Radical Idea in A Transforming Welfare State, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 83-99.

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Basic Income in Japan: Prospects for A Radical Idea in A Transforming Welfare State


[Contents]

Introduction
1. Welfare state reform and workfare policies
2. Public assistance reform in Japan
2-1. Outline and situation of public assistance in Japan
2-2. Debates on public assistance in Japan
3. Local governments' proposals for public assistance reform
3-1. Workfare proposals by local governments
3-2. Basic income proposed by Ishin no Kai
4. Conclusion
References

[Introduction]

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the future of the public assistance system in Japan by focusing on recent debates about its reform through the lens of political discourse analysis, and to discuss the potential of an unconditional basic income (BI). Section 1 offers a general overview of recent welfare reforms aimed at promoting workfare, using a few examples from the United States that have inspired Japanese policies. In section 2, I outline and describe attempts at public assistance reforms in Japan, and analyze the recent debates about these proposals at national level. In section 3, I examine proposals for public assistance reform by prefectural or municipal governments, especially a proposal by the mayor of Osaka City, in the context of the devolution of public assistance administration. In the conclusion, I argue that future public assistance reform in Japan will likely be based on workfare; however, I suggest that the government must increase the take up rate to twice or three times its present level in order to guarantee the right of subsistence.

[References]

Asahi Shinbun, January 26, 2010 (in Japanese).

Clark, James, 2005, "Overcoming Opposition and Giving Work Experience to Welfare Applicants and Recipients," Emanuel S. Savas ed., Managing Welfare Reform in New York City, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 171-209.

Esping-Andersen, G?sta, 1999, Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economies, New York: Oxford University Press.

Hayashi, Naohisa, 2006, "Trials for Public Assistance Having Made an Epoch," Jun Yoshinaga and Yoshiki Takeshita eds., We Do Not Want to Die: It Is Now When Public Assistance Is Utilized, Tokyo: Aokishoten, 71-122 (in Japanese).

Ishin no Kai Japan, 2012, A Comprehensive Reform from 2013 to 2016, Making Japan Smart and Strong: Sturdy Japan (Retrieved May 20, 2013, pdf) (in Japanese).

Ishin no Kai Osaka, 2012a, A Resume of Ishin Political Academy (Retrieved July 30, 2012, pdf) (in Japanese).

Ishin no Kai Osaka, 2012b, Ishin 8 polices (Retrieved May 20, 2013, pdf) (in Japanese).

Kobayashi, Hayato, 2010, "Welfare Reform in California State: Competition and Consequence of Two Models of Workfare," Hiroshi Shibuya and Takashi Hamanaka eds. American - Model Welfare State I, Kyoto: Showado, 66-129 (in Japanese).

Kobayashi, Hayato, 2012, "Workfare and the Right of Subsistence," Yamamori Toru ed., Work and the Right of Subsistence, Tokyo: Ootsukishoten, 171-203 (in Japanese).

Kouseiroudou Shou, 2010, On Estimate about the Number of Low Income Households Whose Income Is under the Standard of Public Assistance (Retrieved October 14, 2013, pdf) (in Japanese).

Kouseiroudou Shou, 2012a, An Outline of Findings (Retrieved October 14, 2013, pdf) (in Japanese).

Kouseiroudou Shou, 2012b, Statistical Abstract of Health, Labour and Welfare (Retrieved October 8, 2013, xls) (in Japanese).

Kouseiroudou Shou, 2013, White Paper on Health, Labour and Welfare (Retrieved January 17, 2014, pdf) (in Japanese).

L?demel, Ivar and Heather Trickey eds., 2001, An Offer You Can Refuse: Workfare in International Perspective, Bristol: The Policy Press.

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2010, Public Assistance System (Retrieved October 8, 2013, pdf).

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2012, Annual Health, Labour, and Welfare Report 2011-2012, References (Retrieved October 8, 2013, pdf).

Miyamoto, Taro, 2006, "The Reconstruction of Wefare States and Politics of Discource: A New Framework," Miyamoto Taro ed., Comparative Welfare Politics: Actors and Strategies of Reconstruction, Tokyo: Wasedadaigakusyuppanbu, 68-88 (in Japanese).

Miyamoto, Taro, 2008, Welfare Politics: Livelihood Security and Democracy in Japan, Tokyo: Yuuhikaku (in Japanese).

Osaka City, 2012, Osaka City's Opinion against the Suggestion about Public Assistance from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Retrieved August 1, 2012, pdf) (in Japanese).

Ozawa, Shuji, 2012, "Don't Ignore Hashimoto Version Basic Income as Neoliberalism," Posse, 15: 129-39 (in Japanese).

Seikatsuhogo Mondaitaisaku Zenkokukaigi, 2012, Public Assistance Bashing Full of Many Mistakes: You Can Know Misconceptions of Public Assistance and Realities of Recipients by Q and A, Tokyo: Akashishoten (in Japanese).

Shiteitoshi Shichoukai, 2010, A Proposal for the Comprehensive Reform of Public Assistance System and the Future of the Whole Social Security System (Retrieved May 20, 2013, pdf) (in Japanese).

Syakaihosyou Seidokaikaku Kokuminkaigi, 2012, Forwarding of the Social Security System Reform Act (Retrieved May 20, 2013, pdf) (in Japanese).

Tachibanaki, Toshiaki and Kunio Urakawa, 2006, Investigation of Poverty in Japan, Tokyo: Tokyodaigakusyuppankai (in Japanese).

Tokyotochiji Honbu, 2001, New York City under the Giuliani Administration (in Japanese).

Weaver, R. Kent, 1986, "The Politics of Blame Avoidance," Journal of Public Policy, 6 (4): 371-98.

Winston, Pamela, 2002, Welfare Policymaking in the States: The Devil in Devolution, Washington, D. C.: Georgetown University Press.

Yoshinaga, Jun, 2006, "Policy Trends and Issues about Public Assistance," Jun Yoshinaga and Yoshiki Takeshita eds., We Do Not Want to Die: It Is Now When Public Assistance Is Utilized, Tokyo: Aokishoten, 153-206 (in Japanese).

Zenkoku Chijikai and Zenkoku Shichoukai, 2006, A Proposal for a New Safety-Net: From "System for Protection" to "System for Supporting People Who Challenge Again" (Retrieved June 18, 2010, website) (in Japanese).



UP: 20170923